


Carpe Diem (et Lancelot)

by imaginary_golux



Category: Arthurian Mythology
Genre: Fluff, Multi, Picnics, Skinny Dipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:22:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22570117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginary_golux/pseuds/imaginary_golux
Summary: It is a very hot summer's day, and Arthur brings his queen and his finest knight out for a picnic.Beta by my Best Beloved, Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw.
Relationships: Guinevere/Lancelot du Lac/Arthur Pendragon
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44
Collections: February Ficlet Challenge 2020





	Carpe Diem (et Lancelot)

It is vanishingly rare for Arthur to be able to escape Camelot’s halls for a full day, rarer still for both Guinevere and Lancelot to be free enough of their own duties to be able to accompany him, but it is a surpassingly warm summer, and everyone from knights to bandits to dragons is so exhausted by the heat that no one has done anything rampageous or adventuresome in _weeks_. Everyone is sort of lying about Camelot, usually as deep in the cellars as they can get, too exhausted to even quarrel effectively; and the reports Arthur has gotten from the rest of his usually-restive kingdom suggest that everyone _outside_ Camelot is doing much the same.

So it’s actually pretty simple for Arthur to tell Kay, “I am taking my queen on a short journey - we will have Lancelot to protect us - we should be back late this evening.” Kay nods.

“Have fun, your majesty,” he says, and flops back onto the cool stone of the pantry. Arthur chuckles and leaves him there.

They walk the horses - very slowly - into the shade of the forest; the animals perk up a little at a tiny hint of breeze, and perk up _more_ when Arthur finds a glade, shady and cool, beside a small and entirely unenchanted lake. The horses are perfectly happy to stand in the shade, cropping desultorily at the grass, as Arthur and Lancelot spread out a blanket beneath a particularly broad-branched tree and Guinevere unpacks the hamper. They make a lazy, pleasant luncheon of it, and then Arthur lies back with his head in Guinevere’s lap and dozes while she and Lancelot kiss, unworried for once about being spied upon.

He wakes up when Lancelot stands and begins taking off his clothes. _That’s_ slightly unexpected. It’s too hot to do much more than kiss, in Arthur’s opinion, but having naked Lancelot _right there_ and not doing anything about it would be a tragedy.

Lancelot doesn’t do anything more than grin down at Guinevere and Arthur, though, before striding across the grass and into the lake with a gleeful whoop and a splash.

“...Shall we join him, my king?” Guinevere asks, looking down at Arthur with a smile.

“Let it never be said that I failed to recognize a wise idea when it was presented to me,” Arthur says, sitting up and hauling his tunic off. “Do you need help unlacing your gown, my queen?”

“If you don’t mind,” Guinevere says, and Arthur sets his tunic aside and moves to help her out of her rather more complicated garments.

Lancelot is standing thigh-deep in the water, waiting for them, when they make their way over to the lake. Arthur pauses on the shore and just admires the view for a moment. Guinevere, always wise, goes right into the water and into Lancelot’s arms, kissing him happily.

Arthur grins and follows his queen.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the February Ficlet Challenge prompt "Skinny dipping."


End file.
